SPEEDY PAN PIZZAS
When asked what their favourite food is, most kids will say pizza. Shop-bought pizzas often don’t come up to scratch health-wise, but making your own using a yeast-based dough can be time-consuming. This no-yeast alternative is the perfect answer – it’s quick and simple to make, plus you can add your own choice of healthy toppings. I’ve a given a few suggestions, below, but feel free to come up with your own favourites.
Ingredients
Pizza Base
Makes 4
Prep time: 20 minutes, plus resting
Cooking time: 30 minutes
400g/14oz/31/4 cups self-raising spelt or plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
400ml/14fl oz/scant 12/3 cups plain live yogurt
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Topping
1 large handful of baby spinach leaves, tough stalks removed
4 eggs
175g/6oz mozzarella, drained, patted dry and torn into chunks
Tomato sauce
250ml/9fl oz/1 cup passata
2 large garlic cloves, minced 30g/1oz/1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for cooking and drizzling
To make the pizza bases, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, yogurt and olive oil in a large mixing bowl using a fork and then your hands until the mixture comes together into a soft dough. Tip the dough out on to a lightly floured work surface and knead briefly until it forms a smooth ball. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rest for 20 minutes. (The dough can be made in advance, wrapped in cling film and kept in the fridge for up to 1 day. Bring it back to room temperature before cooking.)
While the dough is resting, mix together the ingredients for the tomato sauce in a bowl and leave to one side.
Preheat the grill to high. Put the spinach in a bowl and pour over enough just-boiled water to cover. Leave for a couple of minutes until wilted then drain and refresh under cold running water. Drain the spinach again, pat dry with kitchen towels and leave to one side.
Divide the dough into four pieces. Roll out one piece of the dough on a lightly floured work surface to a 27cm/103/4in round.
Heat a large, ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat. Add a splash of oil to very lightly coat the base of the pan. Place the pizza in the pan and press it out to cover the base of the pan and up to the edges. Cook for 2 minutes until the base starts to turn golden underneath.
While the pizza is still in the pan, spread a quarter of the tomato sauce over the top of the pizza, leaving a border around the edge. Top with a quarter of the spinach forming it into a nest with a hole in the middle. Crack an egg into the hole then scatter over some of the mozzarella. Drizzle over a little extra olive oil.
While the pizza is grilling, start to prepare and cook the second pizza and repeat to make four in total. The pizzas are best served when freshly cooked.
Hero food: live yogurt
The gut has been called the ‘second brain’ and its health is vital to the well being of the whole body. Live yogurt contains beneficial bacteria, which are known to support healthy digestion and benefit the gut.
More topping ideas:
Mushroom & smoked tofu
8 mushrooms, thinly sliced
200g/7oz smoked tofu, cut into bite-sized pieces
4 tbsp mascarpone cheese
Scatter the toppings over the tomato sauce, just before grilling.
Mediterranean
1 roasted pepper from a jar, drained and sliced
1 small courgette, grated
1 handful of pitted olives, sliced
175g/6oz mozzarella, drained, patted dry and torn into chunks
1 handful of pine nuts
Scatter the toppings over the tomato sauce, just before grilling.
